Rockefeller, Bono Mack seek explanations from Facebook

Two federal lawmakers want Facebook to come before Congress to explain how the social media company tracks Web users and why Facebook members got swarmed by pornographic and violent images this week.

Reacting to details of Facebook's tracking practices disclosed in USA TODAY's front page cover story today, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D - W. Va., said he intends to invite Facebook and others to a hearing to explain how they are using personal information.

"The USA TODAY story is disturbing," says Rockefeller, sponsor of a Do-Not-Track bill that would empower consumers to limit ad networks from tracking where they go online. "No company should track customers without their knowledge or consent, especially a company with 800 million users and a trove of unique personal data on its users."

Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes noted that Facebook tracking systems are used to personalize content and help boost security. He also said that the company's tracking practices are spelled out in its Privacy Policy and Help Center web pages. "We appreciate Sen. Rockefeller's interest in protecting consumer privacy and look forward to discussing this with him," Noyes says.

Meanwhile, Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., who chairs the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, directed her staff to bring in Facebook officials next week for a briefing to learn more about the wave of pornographic and violent images that spread through Facebook's automated content-sharing systems. "The Chairman is very concerned about what took place and wants to make certain – to the extent possible – that it doesn't happen again," says spokesman Ken Johnson.

Among the questions Bono Mack wants answered: How many people were impacted? What actually happened? How did it happen? Could the vulnerability be used to gather users' personal information? What is Facebook doing to prevent future intrusions?

Noyes pointed out this CNN news story praising how Facebook responded to the systemic attack on its content-sharing technologies. "Protecting the people who use Facebook from spam and malicious content is a top priority for us," says Noyes. "Our team responded quickly to eliminate most of the spam caused by this incident. We are now working to improve our systems to better defend against similar attacks in the future."

To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.

About USA TODAY's Tech team

Technology Live covers computers, electronics, and the Internet, with a focus on cutting-edge technology that has a real impact on your life. Our reporters and editors -- based in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, and Washington – offer news and tips to help you make the most of your digital domain. More about the team